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December 21, 2009
By: CartPro
Category: Business Tips, Material Handling, Safety and Ergonomics, ergonomics
In this space we’ve often extolled the value of ergonomics and ergonomic equipment. Ergonomically-designed material handling equipment like DJ Products’ CartCaddy motorized carts and tugs offer multiple benefits in the workplace, including:
- Reducing worker injuries and ensuring a safe work environment
- Improving worker morale by decreasing physical stress and strain during task performance
- Decreasing medical, insurance and worker’s compensation costs
- Decreasing time-lost costs due to worker injury and recovery/rehabilitation
- Increasing productivity, efficiency and profitability
But as Anne Kramer, CEO and President of Ergo Works, Inc., pointed out in a recent article posted on DiversityBusiness.com, ergonomics also opens the workplace to a more diverse workforce by improving accessibility.
Ergonomics is the science of fitting the task to the worker, rather than forcing the worker to contort his body to perform the task. Ergonomic design recognizes that workers come in all sizes of varying physical ability. Recognizing the great diversity among workers, ergonomic design allows equipment to be positioned and used by a maximum number of workers.
Ergonomic equipment is designed to minimize the overexertion or cumulative trauma of manual lifting, pushing, pulling, stretching and other repetitive tasks that can injure soft muscle tissues. Kramer notes that back and shoulder injuries account for one-third of all missed work days. When the burden of a task is assumed by the equipment instead of the worker’s back, the need for inappropriate exertion is eliminated and the risk of injury is reduced. Ergonomics allows a more diverse group of workers to perform the same task or use the same piece of equipment, keeping injury rates low and productivity high. Use of ergonomic equipment allows employers to satisfy their legal responsibility to accommodate workers, maximizes use of their workforce and reflects a commitment to diversity in the workplace.
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October 20, 2008
By: CartPro
Category: Material Handling, Trade Shows, logistics
Well having spent 20 bitter, cold winters in Chicago shoveling endless mounds of snow, I have to admit that when I got my invitation to ProMat 2009, I was underwhelmed about the offer to “join us in January in Chicago.” However, you can’t fault Chicago for its exciting city life, excellent restaurants, magnificent skyline and ever-patrolling army of snowplows, so I’m game for another frosty experience in the Windy City. And who could miss the Material Handling Industry of America’s annual international exposition? ProMat 2009, Solutions that Make the Supply Chain Work, promises to provide an invigorating look at the hot new trends and innovations in material handling and logistics.
ProMat will showcase more than 800 solution-packed exhibits from top equipment and technology providers in the material handling and logistics industries. It’s your opportunity to not only talk to the pros but see their solutions to industry applications in action. Given the country’s current economic problems, I think we can all benefit from solutions that promise to streamline operations, increase productivity, reduce costs, improve customer service and improve our bottom line.
I’m particularly looking forward to Forrest Sawyer’s moderation of the keynote discussion on building the workforce of the future. We’ve discussed in this space before the workforce challenges that will face our industry in the coming years: retiring boomers, declining worker population, increased workforce diversity, life/work balance and a move toward more technical skill sets. These issues aren’t going to go away and we, as an industry, need to develop strategies for embracing the challenges of the future.
We’ve also talked in this space about the globalization of material handling, logistics and industry in general. With buyers and sellers from more than 90 countries in attendance, ProMat offers an opportunity to start making connections so you’ll be ready to flex your global wings.
Education is always a major focus of the annual MHIA show. This year’s Knowledge Center will bring 100 Educational Seminars to the show floor, all free to attendees, as is the keynote discussion. Seminars will focus on the latest material handling and logistics trends and innovations for manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain operations.
ProMat 2009 will be held from January 12-15, 2009 at McCormick Place South in Chicago, Illinois. Plan to go and learn about emerging trends and leading edge developments in the industry. See solutions in action and talk to their purveyors. Network with other professionals from across the country and around the globe. ProMat 2009 is your chance to learn, explore and rekindle your passion. For complete information and registration, visit the ProMat website.
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August 11, 2008
By: CartPro
Category: Future Trends, Material Handling, OSHA
America’s workforce is becoming increasingly multicultural. At this year’s MHEDA convention, keynote speaker Steven Little predicted that changing demographics will redefine material handling workers and change the way we do business. As Baby Boomers retire and the U.S. workforce shrinks, industry will need to turn increasingly to foreign and immigrant workers. Within a decade, Little said, Spanish will be the primary language spoken in 20% of U.S. homes. Overcoming the language and cultural barriers presented by a multicultural workforce is expected to present a significant challenge for many industries, including material handling, warehousing and logistics operations.
As they have since the founding of America, immigrants bring with them a wealth of diverse languages, cultural traditions and customs. However, communication, productivity, and worker morale can suffer when differences are not addressed. This problem is already being experienced by businesses in the West and Southwest who employ Hispanic workers. Hispanics are one of the fastest-growing groups in the U.S. workforce. Unusually high injury rates and on-the-job deaths among foreign-born Hispanic workers prompted business owners to ask OSHA for help. In response OSHA is starting to offer classes on the social hierarchy of Latino and Asian cultures, both of which are more highly structured and rigid than American culture.
Accommodating the language, customs and social structure of foreign workers is necessary if immigrant workers are to be effectively integrated into the U.S. workforce. Material handling, logistics and warehousing firms that are proactive in accommodating language and cultural differences into their workplace routine will be able to profit from the increasing diversity of America’s workforce.
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